Former Great Britain coach Maurice Bamford claims Sam Burgess’s sensational cross-code switch means its time for rugby league to declare all-out war on rugby union.

Bamford believes union’s poaching of Burgess from Australia’s lucrative NRL should force the Rugby Football League to now go on the offensive and declare an end to the on-going talent drain.

He labels Burgess move to union a major body blow to rugby league’s image and is demanding immediate action from the game’s governing body to prevent further high- profile departures.

Bamford told MEN Sport: “The best and only solution to this predicament is to meet fire with fire and go to war with your opponent and find a way to win.

“Our game cannot flourish if we keep losing players of Burgess’s stature. To keep them, we must make our game stronger and look at having more money in our game to pay them.

“We must find the cash to pay these top players what they deserve. If we don’t, they will keep going elsewhere.

“England’s rugby union test side recently had three former Wigan RL players in their ranks and that’s not on. It shows the sorry state our game is in now.

“Burgess is a huge loss. He’s one of the best players in the world and we’ve lost him at the drop of a hat. It wouldn’t happen in any other sport that’s why we have to fight union. What really sickens me is the fact that not so long ago, union would not even entertain league.

“We were detested yet now they have the power and our game is suffering as a result from being the poor relation. The roles have to be reversed sooner rather than later.”

Murphy said: “The biggest worry with the Burgess signing is the fact he is being prised away from Australia where he is already earning a fortune. We have to buck the trend or the game could be up.

“French rugby union clubs are offering even more than English clubs. If rugby league wants to seriously be up there with the likes of football and cricket then money has to be found to keep the best players in our game.

"You cannot compete in the Derby if you only have an ordinary nag at your disposal.”